Blog Post

Your favorite daily fantasy season is over, how are you going to play daily fantasy sports now?

It’s a question that’s bound to come up eventually if you’re like many daily fantasy sports enthusiasts. Most players have one or two sports they feel comfortable playing. It’s important to diversify your skillset though, as becoming proficient in every variation of daily fantasy sports leads to increased profitability. You’ll find more opportunities to exploit a strategic edge, and the best part — you get to play daily fantasy sports year-round!

You may be thinking right now, “That sounds fine and dandy, but how do I learn to play a sport I have zero experience with?” It definitely seems like a daunting task, but I was in that very position last year when the NBA season ended. The only daily fantasy sports I knew how to play were daily fantasy basketball and daily fantasy football. Baseball was a sport I hadn’t followed in almost 10 years, and the task seemed impossible.

It may seem impossible for you too, but I assure you it will be one of the best decisions you make for your daily fantasy sports career. By using these tips I’m about to share I was able to start slow and eventually gain momentum by finishing the season wildly profitable. Pay attention and you too will learn how to seamlessly transition between daily fantasy sports.

Daily Fantasy Sports Tip #1

Take A Step Back

I know it’s a cliche, but it truly does help to offer perspective on the situation. Understand that you won’t pick this new style of play up overnight, and instead look to the long-term future and set reasonable goals for yourself. Looking at the bigger picture will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed, and helps you keep your goals in mind.

Daily Fantasy Sports Tip #2

Be Realistic About Your Progress

If you expect to come out guns blazing then you’re likely setting yourself up to be disappointed. It takes time and practice to master anything, and learning new daily fantasy sports are no exception. If you struggle at first it’s okay, everyone does. The important part is that you improve as a player, which leads us to our next daily fantasy sports tip.

Daily Fantasy Sports Tip #3

Review Your Lineups

After playing in enough contests you’ll begin to gain a feel for the top players on the site. One of the most overlooked tools for improving your daily fantasy sports lineups is comparing your rosters to those of the top players. Ask yourself “Should I have known about player X?” Eventually you’ll begin recognizing your mistakes almost immediately, and that will lead to improved play.

Daily Fantasy Sports #4

Scale Down Your Spending To Start

The goal is to turn your daily fantasy sports skills into a well-oiled machine, humming along at full speed 365 days a year. This won’t happen from day one though, and in the interest of self-preservation it’s advised to start slow and periodically ramp up your volume as the comfort level increases.

Daily Fantasy Sports Tip #5

Read Everything

I write a daily column detailing my top plays for the night, and there are many others within the daily fantasy community who offer up valuable information on a daily basis. Simply loading your mind with as much information as possible is the best way to become proficient, and it’s also the fastest way to accelerate your learning curve.

If you follow those tips I’m confident you’ll master each daily fantasy venture you put your mind towards. If you have any questions you can always leave a comment below, or you can contact me on Twitter.

Question of the Day: Does learning new daily fantasy sports intimidate you?

About the Author

Gabriel Harber is a daily fantasy basketball, baseball, and football junkie. His beard could draft a better team than you. You can connect with him on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter.

I am very familiar with football, but want to extend my dfs season. Would you recommend learning basketball or hockey if you had to choose? I only have so much spare attention during NFL season. What should I pay attention to that I might be ready for a new season?

Hockey has smaller prize pools by virtue of being a less popular sport, but it’s also easier to dominate if you trail expert advice. Basketball’s increased earnings potential comes with a higher degree of difficulty.

If you want to simply plug and play expert picks while sprinkling in a few of your own I would recommend hockey. If you’re looking to dive headfirst into a second sport and really learn the ins and outs, I would go with basketball.